Baby Rodriguez
by Benji's Riot Gurl
Summary: FINISHED All grown up, Reggie is pregnant with the child of one of the Rodriguez brothers.
1. Reggie's News

I do not own Rocket Power.  
  
Chapter 1: Reggie's News  
  
It was a clear spring afternoon when I got home from my job as a lawyer. I figured that I would go to law school after high school since I broke the law so many times as a kid. It was always hard to believe that I, Lars Rodriguez, had become a lawyer. But I did, and I was very good at it. Many people turned to me when they needed an attorney.  
  
As a kid, I had always teased my brother, Twister. I also teased his friends, Otto and Reggie Rocket, and Sam Dullard. I had my friends, Pi Piston and Sputz Ringley, to back me up. We were the three bad-asses of the neighborhood. Like I said, I teased them, but I didn't hate them. Twister was my brother and I cared about him dearly, and not to mention, the first time I laid eyes on Regina Elizabeth Rocket, I fell deeply in love. Of course, I was only six years old, and she was five. Of course, my friends would throw me out of a third-story window if they knew how I felt. So I just made it easier for myself and teased them all.  
  
However, when I turned eighteen, I could hide my feelings no more. I stopped picking on Twister and his friends, and I told Pi and Sputz to buzz off if they didn't approve of my kindness. But they did; they even started to be nice. Now I know what everybody is thinking right now, and I will answer that yes, I did tell Reggie how I felt. She liked me back since I had gotten nicer.  
  
So, Reggie and I went out. We were high school sweethearts-we did everything together. Skateboarding, surfing, you name it. We never went to the beach without each other. We went strong for about six years, until I was about 24. I proposed to Reggie. At first, she just stood there in shock as I felt my heart beat rapidly. But it slowed down when she smiled and accepted. We got married on the beach a few months later, after hectic planning and arranging of everything.  
  
That was two years before my story starts. At the age of 26, it was a clear spring afternoon when I got home from my job as a lawyer. I was very happy because it was Friday, and I had no big case to work on. I could relax that weekend and spend as much time with Reggie as I could. Reggie and I still skateboarded and surfed when it was warm enough and we didn't have much to do. Between my being a lawyer and her job as an at-home journalist for a magazine, things were very hectic.  
  
When I opened the door, I learned that things were about to become more hectic. I saw her in the kitchen, washing the dishes. She put the dish back down in the soapy water and came over to me as we shared a kiss. She asked me how my day was, and I told her what happened, you know the deal. Then I kissed her, and she looked up at me as she smiled. "Lars, I have some news," she said, putting her arms around my neck in a loving embrace. I returned the gesture by wrapping my arms around her.  
  
"What's going on?" I asked.  
  
"Well, lately I've been getting sick a lot in the mornings, and I went to the doctor today," she replied. "We're going to have a baby."  
  
I just stood there in shock. I couldn't believe it. I was to be a father. I remember feeling my heart thump as she told me this news, then kissing her deeply on the lips. Finally, Reggie and I had created something that was a part of us. Things would be hectic at first with the baby, but soon we'd be watching it grow up. We'd witness the days from diaper changing to the first day of school all the way up to the "teen rebellion". After that, we'd see it grow from a child to an adult before our very eyes. It would be an amazing thing, but there would be some tough parts about it. I wasn't 100 percent sure about how I was gong to deal with those hard times, but I was sure of one thing. I would do whatever it took to give my child the best life possible. 


	2. The Talk

I do not own Rocket Power.  
  
Chapter 2: The Talk  
  
That night, Reggie and I had "the discussion", if you know what I mean. We sat out on the back porch under the bright stars, feeling the cool spring breeze on our backs. I had my arm around her just as I had eight years ago, and she laid her head on my shoulder. "What are we going to name the baby?" I asked her as I saw a smile spread across her face.  
  
"I don't know," she replied. "I've always liked the name Jesse for a boy."  
  
"Me too," I said, even though I really hadn't given this too much thought. Not that I didn't like the name, it's just that this conversation had come on such short notice. "How about David for his middle name?"  
  
"Jesse David Rodriguez," she said, smiling. "I like that."  
  
"So I guess if it's a boy, that'll be his name."  
  
"Yeah," she replied, then bit her bottom lip as if she were deep in thought. "What if it's a girl?"  
  
"How about Jamie?" I asked. Jamie was just a name that I liked period, for a boy or a girl.  
  
"Jamie Kimberly Rodriguez," she said. "How does that sound?"  
  
"I like it," I replied. I looked down at her as she looked up at me and smiled.  
  
"We have a lot of planning to do," she told me, then kissed me on the cheek.  
  
"And we only have nine months to do it," I replied.  
  
"Our lives will be changed forever," she said. "We'll have an extra member of the family. We'll have something that is naturally both of ours; something that we created ourselves."  
  
"I wonder how Twister and Otto will feel when they find out when they have a niece or a nephew."  
  
"Oh, I forgot about that," she replied. "Or Raymundo and your parents when they see that they're grandparents."  
  
"I know my mother will pull the 'Oh, my baby's all grown up! I'm a grandma!' routine," I replied as she chuckled.  
  
"Raymundo will probably be happy, but disappointed because he's getting old," she told me as she continued to smile.  
  
"Well, no matter what, we'll have our baby, and we'll love it," I said as I gave her a deep kiss on the lips. She then broke away and ran into the house. I followed her into she got into the bathroom and vomited. Apparently this was going to be harder on her than it would be on me since the kid was growing inside of her. But I took good care of her, starting out by holding her hair back as she did her business. When she finished, I got a wet washcloth and wiped her mouth off. She smiled at me as she stood up.  
  
"Are you OK?" I asked, even though it was obvious that she was.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied. She then went to the sink to brush her teeth as I waked out of the bathroom. I went into the living room and picked up the phone. I had some news to spread, so I dialed Twister's phone number.  
  
Twister had changed very much in the past ten years. He started getting better grades in school, even though he still had trouble with Algebra. He was no Sam Dullard, but he wasn't getting straight E's like before. He went to college to study animation, and was now working for Nickelodeon as their top animator. I know that that was quite unexpected, but ever since he was little, he was drawing. That is, when he wasn't skating. But he discovered how much he loved it in the sixth grade when he broke his ankle skateboarding.  
  
He was unmarried, living in a house near the beach with Otto and their dog, Chance. This time he was more responsible with Chance than he was with his puppy when he was nine. Of course, he had Otto to help him take care of it. He and Otto were roommates since neither of them were married. Otto dated a girl or two sometimes, but no matter how hard Twister tried, he could never get a girl to go out with him.  
  
"Hello," he said at the other end of the receiver.  
  
"Hey, Twist, I got some news for you," I replied.  
  
"What's up, Lars?" he asked.  
  
"Reggie's pregnant," I replied.  
  
"You got my best friend's sister pregnant?' he asked, as I heard Otto in the background asking about what was going on.  
  
"Yeah," I said as I heard Twister telling Otto the news on the other end. I guess it's not everyday that two best friends find out that their older brother and sister are going to have a baby together. But the thing I didn't understand was what the big fuss was about. Reggie and I had been married for about two years now; it was only natural that a baby was expected. After Twist and I talked a little bit for a few minutes, I hung up the phone and turned on the TV as Reggie came in the room and sat down next to me. After about an hour or so, we went to bed and fell asleep. 


	3. My World

I do not own Rocket Power.  
  
*******I know this title has nothing to do with the chapter, but I didn't have any good ideas for the title, and it was the Avril Lavigne song that I happened to be listening to at the time. ^_^.*******  
  
Chapter 3: My World  
  
The next week was very hectic, between clearing out the storage room down the hall (it was a bedroom, but we used it for a storage room since nobody used it) and moving everything into the garage or the attic. That took just one day in itself, moving boxes of old junk from place to place. Otto and Twister stopped by and helped us, and Twister offered to paint the room when we found out the gender of the baby.  
  
But when Monday morning rolled around, I was surprised at work. I flicked the light switch in my office to see a banner across the front of my desk reading, "Congratulations, Lars!" I saw my boss walking down the hall, so I asked him what was with the banner. He said that Pi had set it up (Pi worked at the office as a lawyer as well.) when he the news about my baby on the way.  
  
My boss continued to ask me questions about Reggie and me, then went back to his work. Pi all of the sudden popped up out of nowhere. "Hey man, heard about your big news!"  
  
"From who?"  
  
"Twister and Otto told me when I went over there to give Chance some free-sample dog treats that were at the grocery store, and Twister had just gotten off of the phone with you."  
  
"Well, thanks for the banner," I said as he smiled, then wished me luck with my "little one".  
  
After work that day, I went home like any normal man would. Reggie was asleep on the couch, so I quietly went to my room to put up my briefcase and get into some casual clothes. When I was dressed, I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, just like a typical man. Of course, I had the volume down low so that Reggie could sleep. She must have been tired because she slept for a few hours. I looked at the clock, which read six o'clock, so I ordered a pizza.  
  
After the pizza came, she woke up. "It's about time you woke up," I told her as she smiled up at me and stood up, followed by stretching. I paid the pizza man and set the pizza on the kitchen table. We ate it and talked about the day's events. I told her about my surprise in my office and the normal stuff that happened in the office, and she told me about her day. She had sent in her article to the magazine, and then started her new one. The magazine actually wanted her to write a journal to be published about her pregnancy. She had to think about it, since this was a first-time experience for her, and she wasn't sure that she wanted millions reading about it.  
  
For the next month or so, everything was the same. We bought furniture and the necessities for the baby, and she decided to write the journal. After a month her stomach started to swell up, but it still wasn't enough to find out the gender of the baby. So the empty room just sat there for a while, without Twister's art covering the walls. But we got together with Twister, who had drawn some little cartoon characters, such as lambs, tigers, giraffes, etc., and we picked out which ones would be painted in the room.  
  
We told my parents the news, and they were overjoyed. My mother started to cry as she threw her arms around me and wailing, "Oh, I'm gonna be a grandma!" You know, the normal mother stuff that they pull when they find out that you have a baby on the way. I wondered if Reggie would pull that when our time came to be grandparents. I doubted it, because she looked kinda weirded-out when we told Ray. He started to cry and threw his bulky arms around the both of us. But at least they were supportive; I guess Ray figured that if anyone got Reggie pregnant, it should be one of the Rodriguez brothers or Sam.  
  
It's still kinda shocking, even to this day that we were having a baby. When I looked back at all of the days of torment I had caused her and everybody else, it seemed as if I had had an evil twin or something like that. But the past was past, and now was now. Reggie was going to have my baby, and I wouldn't want it any other way.  
~~Thanks to all who reviewed! Silent Whisper, I think you're my long lost twin! ^_^ 


	4. Blessing and Disaster

I do not own Rocket Power.  
  
Chapter 4: Blessing and Disaster  
  
Being as Reggie was now two months pregnant, we decided that we would get a puppy to play with the baby, after seven months of training. We lucked out when Sputz's golden retriever had puppies. We got a girl puppy and named her Sophie. She was a very rowdy puppy, but my Auntie Lee was a professional dog trainer, and she trained the dog/ Everyday she would come over and teach Sophie the basics. Sophie wasn't a dumb dog; she caught on pretty fast. But we wanted her to be very gentle with the baby.  
  
One night, Reggie and I were snuggling on the couch while watching TV. Sophie was asleep in her puppy bed, so we didn't have to watch her. "All of this is happening so fast," Reggie told me after The Simpsons had just gone off.  
  
"What, the run of the show?" I asked, confused. She just chuckled at me and smiled.  
  
"No, everything with the baby. From finding out to planning to the dog; everything is changing so fast." I kissed her cheek as she patted her somewhat-swollen stomach. It had only been two months, but her pregnancy was beginning to show. She then looked up at me, and I kissed her passionately. But it didn't last long because Sophie had barked. We looked over at her as we saw her running towards us. We sat upright just in time for her to jump right on Reggie's stomach.  
  
"Are you OK?" I asked as she clutched her stomach uncomfortably.  
  
"I'm fine," she said after a minute. "Just really hurt." Sophie walked up to Reggie and laid her head on Reggie's lap as if to say that she was sorry. We only had that dog for two days, and already she was warming up to us. Reggie smiled and started to stroke Sophie's head. Sophie looked up at the both of us with the sweetest puppy eyes as I started to stroke her. I happily put an arm around Reggie, joining my two favorite girls and me. If not two, then my three favorite girls, depending on the baby's gender.  
  
Over time, Sophie had become very gentle. My Auntie Lee was very impressed and said that she had never had a dog learn so quickly with her. I knew that Sophie would be the perfect companion for the baby. The two would get along great. Sophie was probably great with kids. We weren't sure, so we took her to our old friend, Sam Dullard, for a visit. Sam was married to Reggie's friend Sherry, and they had a one-year old.  
  
"Sammy, it's so great to see you!" Reggie greeted him when we first got there. They shared a quick hug, and then Sam shook my hand as he greeted me.  
  
"Reggie, you look different," Sam said to her, looking at her closely. "What happened?"  
  
"Sammy, out of our group of friends, you and Sherry won't be the only parents," she replied as a wide smile spread across his face. I took Reggie's hand in mine as she said this and smiled.  
  
"Congratulations!" Sammy said as Otto, Twister, and Sherry, holding her little one, all stepped out on the porch. Of course everybody congratulated us not only on our little one on the way, but on our puppy as well. Chance then ran out of the door and she and Sophie sniffed each other's behinds, like all dogs do. We all continued to talk for a minute, and then we went inside the house. Unfortunately, Reggie tripped on the steps and landed right on her stomach, probably hurting the baby. Her face turned red as she clutched her stomach; she had fallen really hard. I helped her up as I asked her if she was OK. She said she was fine, but she appeared to be uncomfortable.  
  
When we got inside the house, Sherry sat her daughter, Vanessa, down in the playpen as I put Sophie in there. We stood there and watched the two. Sophie walked up to Vanessa and sniffed her face. Vanessa put her hand on Sophie's head, and Sophie licked her face.  
  
All throughout the day, Sophie played with Vanessa, gentle as ever. Sophie was the perfect dog for a baby. Of course, Chance joined the two and they played. Chance was also unbelievably gentle with Vanessa. Maybe if Twister could actually fall in love and get married, he'd have a kid for Chance to play with. But poor Twister. He had gotten rejected so many times by girls that he just stopped bothering to ask them out.  
  
Anyways, throughout the day everything went fine, but around six o'clock that night was pure chaos. No, Twister didn't get drunk again; something worse happened. In the middle of a conversation, Reggie started breathing heavily. She clutched her stomach as she grunted in pain. This wasn't usual considering she wasn't even three months pregnant yet, but she did fall pretty hard down those steps. I asked her if she was OK, and she said that she was fine, but the pain held on for another thirty minutes. Sam suggested that she go to the hospital, see what was up, and then come back to pick up Sophie afterwards. So we did so.  
  
I waited in the waiting room for about an hour, when the doctor called my name with a rueful look on his face. "Rodriguez?" he asked as I stood up. "I have some bad news for you." My heart suddenly felt like it had stopped beating and my whole world came crashing down. I had no idea what was wrong, but I knew that something terrible had happened. 


	5. Bye Bye, Baby

I do not own Rocket Power.  
  
Chapter 5: Bye Bye, Baby  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked the doctor as he continued to look at me sympathetically.  
  
"Reggie has suffered a miscarriage," he began. "The baby just died suddenly of head injuries. It was supposed to be a girl, apparently, but I guess she never lived to see her birth. I'm sorry." By now tears were rushing to my eyes. After two months, all of our dreams of starting a family were shattered. All of that work, all of that time, and my daughter didn't even live.  
  
"Is Reggie OK?" I asked, choking down tears.  
  
"She's fine," the doctor replied. "Maybe you two can try again. You want to go see her?" I nodded my head, and the doctor led me to her room. I saw Reggie lying on a hospital bed, looking exhausted. She obviously had been crying too, because her eyes were red and swollen. But she smiled as I entered the room.  
  
"Are you OK?" I asked her, then planted a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied, taking a deep breath. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be." She looked even more crushed than I was. I took her hand in mine as she squeezed it tightly.  
  
"We can try again," I said, hoping to bring her spirits up. I hated to see her like this, and I wanted to do just about anything to make her feel better. She looked up at me and smiled.  
  
"I think we should," she replied as the doctor walked in the room. The doctor said that visiting hours were over and that I could come get Reggie in the morning, so I gave her a quick kiss and bid her goodbye. I then went back to Sammy's house to pick up Sophie.  
  
"What happened?" Sammy asked as he ushered me into the house.  
  
"Reggie had a miscarriage," I replied, not wanting to remember the pain of hours before. Sammy looked at me with a sympathetic face.  
  
"I'm so sorry," he said. "Are you going to try again?"  
  
"Probably," I replied, then went over to the coffee table that Sophie was sleeping under. I scooped her up as she looked up at me with a tired look on her face. Sammy and I then said goodbye to each other, and I went home. I turned on the television as Sophie hopped up into my lap. It was scary; it was like she knew what happened.  
  
At around midnight or so, I crawled into bed. It would be lonely that night without Reggie to snuggle with. But after about five minutes, Sophie climbed up on the bed and licked my face. I decided that tonight she could sleep on the bed since she was a puppy. However, when she got bigger, she would have to sleep in her own bed. But anyways, she curled up on my stomach and the two of us went to sleep. She was amazingly quiet for a puppy. Not once did she bark throughout the entire night.  
  
The next morning, I went to get Reggie. She was happy to see me, as any wife would when her husband came to pick her up from the hospital. When we got home, Sophie greeted us with a happy smile and wagged her tail. Reggie picked her up and gave her a kiss. Sophie returned the gesture by licking her face.  
  
"You love that dog more than you love me," I told her, jokingly. I knew she loved the both of us, but Reggie and I liked to joke about things like that.  
  
"You just figured this out," she replied with a huge grin on her face. She put the dog down as I went over to her and kissed her forehead. After that, we decided to go to the skate park, since neither of us really had anything to do. We took Sophie with us, knowing that Conroy, the owner of Mad Town since we were kids, was a major dog lover. Conroy fed Sophie all kinds of treats and petted her as if she were his own dog.  
  
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A few months later, Reggie and I didn't really do much; we worked and tried to go on with our lives, despite the miscarraige. One night, Reggie and I came home about nine o'clock from Mad Town. The park closed at about six, so Reggie and I went out to dinner, then dropped by Twister and Otto's house. We stayed there for about three hours, then went home. By now, Sophie was tired, so she crawled onto her puppy bed and fell asleep. Reggie and I put our skateboards back in the garage, and then watched some TV. After about ten minutes, a thought crossed my mind.  
  
"So, we're going to try again," I said.  
  
"Try what?" she asked.  
  
"Try to start a family," I replied as she smiled at me. "After what happened four months ago."  
  
"Of course," she answered. "How about now?" I turned off the TV as we both stood up off of the couch. We went into our bedroom, closed the door, and turned out the light. 


	6. Save The Best For Last

I do not own Rocket Power, once again, blah blah blah. AGAIN: I didn't know what to call this chapter, and this was the song I was listening to by Vanessa Williams, so I just called it that.  
  
Chapter 6: Save The Best For Last  
  
One week later, Reggie and I went up to the hospital to see if she was pregnant again. We went into the room, and I paced around nervously as the doctor checked Reggie. After what seemed like forever, she was done, so we waited in the waiting room. After another hour, the doctor said that she had our results. We decided to wait until we got home to share the surprise with Sophie, even though the excitement and anxiety was killing us.  
  
When we got home, I picked up Sophie as Reggie sat down on the couch. I sat down next to her as Sophie licked my face. Reggie began to open the packet as I felt my heart beat like a drum. Then, a frown crossed upon her face. She looked extremely disappointed as she handed me the results. As I read them, she smiled. She was pregnant again! We both cried tears of joy as she threw her arms around me, despite the dog in between us. I was so happy; she had looked so disappointed when she suffered the miscarriage, but now looked so happy that we had a second chance. Sophie must have known, for she wagged her tail happily.  
  
An hour or so later, I called Twister to invite him and Otto over. After Twister said he was sorry about our first baby, I said that I had a surprise for them. They came about ten minutes later with Chance. The two dogs walked to the back door to go out and play.  
  
"So, what's this big surprise?" Twister asked as he sat on the couch. I looked at Reggie, who smiled at me as I smiled back. She handed him the packet as Otto sat down next to Twister and asked what it was. As Twister read it, his eyes grew wide and a huge smile spread across his face, as well as Otto's.  
  
"You two are going to be uncles again," Reggie said to them.  
  
"Congratulations, Reg!" Otto exclaimed as he got up and hugged Reggie. Twister got up as well as we all just exchanged hugs. It was one of the best days of my life; seeing my brother, my wife, and my brother-in-law as happy as they were. After a few minutes, Sophie scratched on the back door, indicating that the dogs wanted to come in. I went to let them both in, and when I opened the door, they both flew right past me, almost knocking me over. This was a really happy day for everybody, even the dogs.  
  
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Over the next few months, Reggie and I got ready for the baby. Over time, her stomach had swollen up like it had done before, and when she went to the doctor for check-ups, she said that our baby was completely healthy. There would be no miscarriage this time. Reggie and I were going to have the baby that was in her stomach right then, and it would be alive and healthy.  
  
At work, Pi had spread the news about everything. This guy updated everybody on my baby, and I was the man of the hour, for many hours. One day at lunch, we started talking about it all.  
  
"Man, I can't believe it. I remember back when you called her a dork, and now, you're expecting a child with her," Pi said as he took a bite out of his turkey sandwich.  
  
"I know," I replied. "When we lost our first baby, the look on her face was so heartbreaking. But now, she's so happy."  
  
"When it's born, it's gonna get a lesson or two from Uncle Pi," he said with a silly grin on his face.  
  
"Oh, I'm scared just thinking about leaving you alone with my kid," I replied. "Only God Himself knows what kind of trouble the kid would be in." We both had a good laugh, then went back to work.  
****Much thanks to all who reviewed!!!!!!!!!!!!!**** 


	7. Clio Comes To Town

I do not own Rocket Power.  
  
Chapter 7: Clio Comes To Town  
  
A week later, I was heading out the door to work when the phone rang. Reggie was still asleep, so I answered it.  
  
"Hello?" I asked, as any normal person did when they answered the phone.  
  
"Hey Lars," said the voice on the other end of the receiver. It was my cousin, Clio. "Your mother said that you had some big news, and I figured that I haven't seen you guys in a while, I'd come visit while hearing the news!"  
  
"When will you be here?" I asked. "Reggie will be so psyched to see you."  
  
"I should probably be in Ocean Shores about eight o'clock tonight," she replied.  
  
"Cool," I said. "Well Clio, I have to go now. I'm going to be late for work."  
  
"OK, Bye!"  
  
"Bye!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Clio finally arrived that night, Twister and I had her sit down on the couch to tell her the news. We didn't let her see Reggie because she was now six months pregnant, and it would have been kind of obvious to Clio what our news was. Otto sat down next to Clio and sort of grinned at her. It appeared as if Otto had taken a sudden interest in Clio, though when we were kids, he was always ragging on her.  
  
"Clio," I said. "The news. Reggie can tell you." Just then, Reggie stepped down the stairs and I saw Clio's eyes light up.  
  
"Clio," said Reggie, "Lars and I are going to have a baby!" Clio then got up off of the couch and the two girls embraced each other as Clio congratulated us. They then split up as the doorbell rang. I went to answer it, only to see Sammy, Sherry, and Vanessa.  
  
"Hey guys, Clio's here," I said as they stepped inside the house. They all greeted Clio, and there was so much noise, Sophie woke up. She sleepily walked over to Twister as he started to stroke her behind her ears. She apparently enjoyed this because she rested her head on his knee. It was a good thing that Twister was good with animals because Clio and Otto started to get flirty.  
  
Otto was telling these crazy stories to Clio, obviously trying to impress her. She was laughing at his stories, and I could see the sparks flying between them. Twister noticed this too, because he looked up at me with a confused look on his face. He was probably worried, because Clio and Otto could get married, leaving Twister all alone in the apartment, unmarried and single. I had to feel sorry for Twister, because none of the girls ever paid him any attention. He could never get a girlfriend, and many times he had told me that he must be doomed to walk the planet alone for the rest of his life.  
  
Anyways, I sat down next to Reggie on the couch and embraced her as everybody started to talk about the old days, when we were about ten years old. We had some good times then, but I was glad we were in the times now because the woman I loved was three months away from being the mother of my child. Although it wasn't all peachy, because she had her mood swings, since she was in her last months of pregnancy. But it would go by so fast, just like the last six months had. It wouldn't be long until we found out the gender of the baby, and Twister would paint the room. It would all be worth it; I just had to wait.  
**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've just been so stuck!!!!!!! That's why this chapter is so short. The next ones should be longer.......................if anyone has any suggestions, please share! Silent Whisper-thanks for your suggestion, it's a good one!** 


	8. Until You Find Your Mrs Right

I, once again, don't own Rocket Power. DON'T SUE!! I HAVE NOTHING! ¡TENGO NADA! OK, I gotta calm down. Hee hee. ¡Soy loca!  
  
Chapter 8: "Until You Find Mrs. Right"  
  
Reggie was seven months pregnant. I was very nervous when we went to the hospital for an Ultrasound. We were going to find out the gender of the baby. When we were in the car, Reggie must have sensed that I was nervous.  
  
"Lars, what are you so nervous about?" she asked as we got to a stoplight. I put my foot on the brake and looked over at her for a split second. She was very pregnant, and had gained about twenty pounds, but I still thought that she was beautiful. I smiled at her.  
  
"I guess I'm nervous about the gender of the baby," I replied as the light turned green. I stepped on the acceleration pedal as I continued. "We've come so far. I remember back in the days when I was picking on you and your friends, and here we are now, driving to the maternity ward to find out the gender of our baby."  
  
"I know, it's hard to believe it," she said. "Everything has changed. I've noticed that Otto and Clio seem to like each other."  
  
"I remember when he used to tease her about being a ballerina," I said as I continued to drive.  
  
"I know, she used to be snobby, but she just might become my sister- in-law," Reggie said with bewilderment in her voice.  
  
"It's weird," I said, "when you marry your brother's friend, whose brother is marrying your cousin." Reggie and I both just laughed, and then Reggie looked down at her stomach as she patted a hand over our unborn child.  
  
"And soon, we'll have a little one," she said, smiling as I pulled into the hospital parking lot. After we got out of the car, we went into the hospital and signed in. When we sat down in the waiting room, she rested her head on my shoulder, and we waited for about ten minutes, until the doctor called us in.  
  
Reggie lied on the bed with the Ultrasound hooked to her, and the doctor began to do her job. After an hour or so, the Ultrasound as well as the regular check-up was finished. As Reggie sat up from the bed, the doctor handed her a picture and beckoned me over to see it. There it was. Our child.  
  
"Your son is coming along just fine," said the doctor. "He's completely healthy, and he's in the right position for birth." The doctor continued to talk to us about the baby, and showed us all of the little details from the picture. She also announced that his due date was the fifteenth of June.  
  
When we got home, I called up Twister to tell him the news. He told Otto, and they were very happy for us. Twister and I then discussed what Twist was going to do for the room, and we decided that he would paint a beach scene. After about a week or so, Twister came over and began to paint the room. When he took a break, we had a conversation.  
  
"Otto had been going out with Clio at night," Twist told me. "They really like each other."  
  
"Reggie and I noticed that," I replied.  
  
"He's crazy about her," he said, taking a sip of his beer. "She is all he talks about."  
  
"At least they're not fighting," I said, sipping my beer as well.  
  
"Sam and Sherry, you and Reggie, Trish and Oliver, and now, Clio and Otto," Twist said ruefully. "It's like everyone is falling in love except for me."  
  
"You'll find your Mrs. Right some day."  
  
"Lars, I'm 24 years old, and I've never been kissed."  
  
"Just be patient," I told him. "And besides, until you find your Mrs. Right, Jesse can keep you company."  
  
"Jesse, as in, my nephew?" he asked me. He was never bright, but he was my brother. I smiled at him as I nodded. He smiled back, and then took the final sip of his beer. He got up and went back to work. When he finished, there was a beautiful beach scene, with fish and other sea creatures with big, boggling eyes and smiles all over it. Twister had painted the wall perfectly. While God hadn't given Twist a lot of brains, He gave him amazing art talent. I would never forget that wall painting as long as I lived. 


	9. Black Balloon

I, once again, do not own Rocket Power, as I have explained for a zillion £U¢K1N times!!!!!!!! D'oh!!! Nuts!!! Mmmmmmmmmm.........................donuts! (Homer Simpson) OH YEAH: Once again, I couldn't think up a good name for a chapter, so I called it "Black Balloon" because it's the song I'm listening to right now. (By The Goo Goo Dolls.)  
  
Well, anyways.......................  
  
Chapter 9: Black Balloon  
  
It was the second week of June as things began to grow tense. Reggie's stomach was very full now, and our son was expected at any time. We were all ready for his arrival; all there was left to do now was to wait. Clio went out on a Saturday and bought a lot of supplies for the baby, and Twister painted Jesse's furniture to match his room. Twister spent a lot of time over at our house since Otto and Clio went out a lot. Sometimes Twister would bring Chance, and she and Sophie would play together.  
  
Things were good for the most part, but Reggie was beginning to have the "pre-birth blues". She had gotten pretty moody once June came by; I guess she was nervous, or maybe it was something like PMS. I really couldn't tell; only God and Reggie knew what was going on. One Friday night, for example, after ordering a pizza for dinner since Twister was at our house (Otto and Clio had gone to a Goo Goo Dolls concert.).  
  
"Lars, I swear," she told me sternly, "If you don't let me have that last piece of pizza, you will regret it." There was only one piece left, and I had no intention of eating it, knowing that Reggie would whomp me. She had been eating a lot lately, just like any normal pregnant woman.  
  
"It's all yours," I told her as I wiped my hand on my napkin. Twister looked at me as if to say, 'How are you going to survive this?'  
  
"I can't believe the baby is due soon," Twister said, breaking the silence. "It's a good thing Reggie works at home to take care of it."  
  
"Yeah, well I wouldn't leave it with you after what happened to your puppy," Reggie snapped, taking a bite of the pizza.  
  
"I had a puppy?" Twister asked, obviously confused. As I said before, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was my brother.  
  
"Well you have Chance now, and she's just fine," I said, sipping my Pepsi.  
  
"That's because Otto is helping him," replied Reggie.  
  
"But he's been out with Clio lately," said Twister. "When I got home last night, I caught them kissing on the couch!"  
  
"Twist, you're just jealous because you've never been in love," Reggie said as she took the final bite of her pizza. I saw in Twister's eyes that she had hit a hard spot. His eyes sank low as he looked at his lap. She had been pretty moody that night, along with other nights.  
  
About two days later, I found myself getting extremely anxious. I had thought about the fact that I was gonna be a father really soon, and it made me so nervous. I had so many questions to ask; so many thoughts in my head. So I went over to Sammy's house.  
  
"Sam," I said as we sat on his front porch while Sherry fed Vanessa, "How did you deal with it?"  
  
"Deal with what?' he asked.  
  
"With the fact that you were soon to be a father?"  
  
"I was nervous; I won't lie," said Sammy. "But the very first moment I saw my daughter, I knew that she would be OK. I saw in her eyes and in Sherry's eyes that I had everything that I wanted, and that there was no way I could lose it; my loving family.  
  
"You'll be just fine," he continued. "I know that Reggie has been kinda moody lately, but it's just a phase that she's going through. Sherry was moody before Vanessa was born."  
  
I smiled at this reply. I knew that Reggie and I would be OK. It was only a matter of time before the life that we created would represent forever. "Thanks, Sam," I replied as Sam scooped up Vanessa in his arms.  
  
*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was the fifteenth of June, and still, no baby. Reggie went to the doctor, but the baby didn't come out. Apparently, he wasn't quite ready. He needed a few more days. On the ride home, Reggie was silent, but when we pulled up in the driveway, she just started to cry, right out of the blue.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked her, turning off the ignition.  
  
"I've been terrible!" she replied. "I've been a beast. I've been so crabby." We walked up the steps and I unlocked the front door, where Sophie greeted us. She was grown now, but wasn't even a year old. She wagged her tail happily as we went inside. Reggie sat down on the couch and buried her face into her hands. I sat down beside her and wrapped my arms around her as she buried her face into my shoulder.  
  
"It's OK," I replied. "Things are tense right now, but we'll be OK."  
  
"But what I said to Twist," she said. "He's very sensitive about it, and I feel terrible!"  
  
"He knows you didn't mean it," I said as she continued to sob on my shoulder. I kissed the top of her head as I told her that everything would be fine, for the umpteenth time.  
  
The next day was a Saturday, and I didn't have to go to work, because I didn't have any cases to work on. I was reading the comics when Reggie came down the stairs. She smiled at me, and as I returned the gesture, a puddle soon burst right beneath her. SH clutched her stomach as she shrieked, "Lars! My water broke!" 


	10. Jesse

I do not own Rocket Power, blah blah blah, OK, I'll shut up since I know everyone's waiting for Jesse! Thanks for reviewing!!  
  
Chapter 10: Jesse  
  
It didn't take ten seconds for Reggie and me to slap on some clothes, leave the house, and hop in the car. She clutched her stomach and breathed deeply as I turned on the ignition. The hospital was only ten minutes away, but we got caught in traffic, so we were in the car for about an hour. I started to get anxious, wondering how long it would be when our son was ready to come into this world.  
  
When we got into the hospital, the doctor talked with Reggie while I went out into the waiting room. There, I called Twister on my cell phone.  
  
"What's up?" asked Twister.  
  
"Twist, Reggie's in labor!" I replied nervously as I heard a gasp on the other line.  
  
"Otto and I will be there in a few minutes!" he said. We then hung up and the nurse called my name.  
  
"Mr. Rodriguez, your wife is ready to start labor," she said. I followed her into a room where I saw Reggie lying on bed, taking deep breaths. The nurse then gave her a shot of Anesthesia in her arm. For the next few minutes, the nurse got her all set up, and the doctor came in. There was nothing left to do but wait. I went over to the bed and took Reggie's hand as I got down on my knees and kissed her head. She squeezed my hand as she smiled up at me.  
  
"I'm scared," she said, simply.  
  
"Me too," I replied. "We'll be OK. We'll be the best parents that we can possibly be."  
  
"I hope so," she said. "I can't believe it's only a matter of hours before we become parents. I've always pictured myself as a mother when I grew up, but never mother to your children." She grinned as she said this, and I grinned back.  
  
"I was a monster back then," I said. "The way I always whomped Twist and Otto. Of course, I never hit you because I knew to never hit girls." She continued to smile as I kissed her lips softly and quickly.  
  
During the next seven hours, we just waited there. Twister, Otto, and Clio (Otto and Clio were, of course, hand in hand.) came to see us. They told us that when they baby came, however, they would be in the waiting room since it was our firstborn, and we needed to be alone for that. My parents, Raymundo, and Tito also came to visit (Twist and Otto had told them the news). My mother threw her arms around me.  
  
"Oh, Lars! I can't believe this! My baby boy's all grown up!" she squealed as Reggie broke into laughter.  
  
"Don't worry, Reg, I won't start up," Raymundo said jokingly as my dad started laughing. Soon, everybody in the room was just flat-out laughing.  
  
After seven hours, Reggie clutched her stomach. "I think he want out now!" she said as the doctor came over to us. He examined her for a couple of minutes, then smiled.  
  
"He's ready," he said, then walked to the end of the bed. He adjusted one of his latex gloves, then began his job.  
  
"Reggie, I want you to push now. As hard as you can," he instructed. Reggie did so as her face turned red. I could see that even with Anesthesia, she was in terrible pain.  
  
"Come on, Reg, you can do it," I said as she continued to push.  
  
"Stop!" said the doctor. "The head's out now! Lie back down; we want to take this nice and slow." Reggie took another deep breath as she collapsed on the bed. I kissed her sweaty forehead as she squeezed my hand.  
  
"This hurts like hell," she said.  
  
"Don't worry, it'll be over with before you know it," I replied as I rubbed her arm with the hand that she wasn't holding.  
  
"Reggie, if you give one more push like that last one, it'll be out," the doctor said. Reggie reluctantly sat back up and took a deep breath. "Push," the doctor instructed. She pushed again, as hard as the last time. After a minute, the doctor instructed her to stop. He announced that she had just given birth to a healthy baby boy. He cut the umbilical cord, then gave him the APGAR test. He then handed our son to the nurse, who carried him to another room to clean him up and stuff.  
  
"We did it," said Reggie. She took a deep breath as she squeezed my hand again. "I'm so tired," she continued.  
  
"Good job," I said as I kissed her sweaty forehead again. The doctor then came to us and announced that our son was in top-notch shape. The nurse came out of the room, holding our boy, wrapped up in a towel. She walked over to us and handed him to Reggie. She took him in her arms and smiled. I could see in her face that she thought it was all worth it. He was a handsome little thing, with a small wisp of dark brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes, which obviously came from Reggie. He cried when he was first born, but he seemed pretty calm now, which helped me stay calm. I was nervous as any new father would be, but like Sammy had said, just looking at my kid made me see that everything would be OK. Reggie handed him to me as the doctor, holding a clipboard, came over to us once again.  
  
"What is your son's name?" he asked.  
  
"Jesse David Rodriguez," Reggie said as she smiled at Jesse and me.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After about twenty minutes, Twister, Otto, and Clio came to see us. While Twister was holding Jesse, I saw Clio and Otto exchange a loving glance. It probably wouldn't be too long before they would find themselves becoming parents. But poor Twister; he had nobody, or so he thought. There was somebody out there for Twist, but he just hadn't found her yet.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
That night, I climbed into bed at about ten o'clock. I thought about all the events of earlier that day, and I closed my eyes to pray. I prayed that I would be a good father, and that now that God had blessed Jesse with life, He would now bless him with happiness. After I ended my prayer, I felt something licking my face. Sophie curled up next to me as I stroked her back. Normally, she wasn't allowed on the bed, but tonight she was, even though she was grown. After a few minutes, we both drifted off to sleep.  
There.....Jesse's in this world! Happy now????? HAHA! But this isn't the end...............one more chapter to go! Anyways, thanks to all the reviewers!!!!!! You guys inspire me to write these fics!!!!!! But tell me: should I write a songfic (RP, of course) to "Slide" by the Goo Goo Dolls? I have a pretty good idea for it............just wondering what you guys think!!! 


	11. As Long As There Are Stars In The Sky

I do not own Rocket Power, for the umpteenth time! D'OH!!!!!!!!!!!  
Chapter 11: As Long As There Are Stars In The Sky  
  
I had picked up Reggie and Jesse the following day of Jesse's birth and we had just gotten adjusted. It was tough for the first couple of weeks with an infant in the house, between being wakened up in the middle of the night and changing diapers, but we were growing accustomed to it. We were pretty tired, but we knew that it would be alright. I took about a week off of work to help take care of Jesse, but Reggie said that she could take care of Jesse after that, since she worked at home.  
  
About a week after Jesse was born, our friends stopped by to visit. They all had announcements to make, in addition to the fact that Sam and Sherry hadn't seen Jesse yet because they had been busy. When they came, everybody sat down on the couch while Reggie fixed up a bottle for Jesse.  
  
"Lars, he looks like you," Sherry said, cradling Vanessa in her arms. "He has a lot of your features."  
  
"If he looks like his Uncle Twister, he'll be REALLY handsome," Twister quipped.  
  
"If he looks like his Uncle Twister, he'll get his ass kicked," Otto joked back as Twister jokingly shoved him.  
  
"So what are you guys here for, to rag on each other or to talk to me?" I teasingly asked as I saw Otto take Clio's hand in his own. Reggie then came out from the kitchen, cradling Jesse and feeding him a bottle. She sat down next to me as I tickled my son's toes. Jesse pulled his foot back and looked at me with his big hazel eyes, while sucking on his bottle. He then smiled at me and pointed his little finger.  
  
"Vanessa said her first word yesterday," Sam announced as Sherry handed Vanessa to him. "Guess what it was."  
  
"Shoobie?" Twister asked as Otto and I cracked up. He looked over at us with a confused face. "What?"  
  
"She said 'Sophie'," Sam replied as Sophie heard her name and trotted up to Sam. Sam patted her forehead as Vanessa reached over to her.  
  
"Sophie," she said simply as she put her little hand on the dog's forehead. I smiled, thinking of the day that Jesse would say his first word, and how much joy it would bring to Reggie and me. After a few minutes of talking about it, Otto said that he had an announcement as he clutched Clio's hand.  
  
"Clio and I," he began, looking at Clio lovingly, "are getting married." I felt my spine shoot up with joy as we all congratulated them. They didn't have everything arranged yet, but Otto said that after he saw Reggie give birth to Jesse, he wanted to have with Clio what I have with Reg, so he proposed the next day. "And Twist," Otto continued, "since Clio and I are going to buy a house and get another dog named Ollie, you get Chance."  
  
"I have to marry the dog?" Twister asked, confused. Otto shot him a look as if to say, 'How stupid can one man possibly be?', but then he broke with laughter.  
  
"No, dude, you get to keep Chance," said Otto as Clio leaned her head on Otto's shoulder.  
  
"Now, you better take better care of her than you did with your puppy," Sammy said jokingly as Vanessa grabbed at his glasses.  
  
"I had a puppy?" asked Twister. The usual response. "I think I now how to take care of Chance," he continued.  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Otto as Twister nodded his head. "Because I don't want to get any phone calls asking what to do next."  
  
"I think I know what to do, O-man," Twister replied just before Reggie burped Jesse, since he was done with his bottle. She handed him to me, and he tugged lightly on my hair, then curled up and began to go to sleep.  
  
"I'm gonna go put him down for a nap," I said as I got up and carried Jesse to his room. I stopped for a second and looked at the mural that Twister had painted, then put Jesse down in his crib. For a few minutes, I just stood there looking at him. He looked so peaceful just sleeping there in his crib, and I began to smile. I couldn't believe that he came from Reggie and me; that his life was in our hands. We would watch him grow from this sleeping infant to an adult, right before our very eyes. It wouldn't be an easy task, but it was one I was willing to take. All the love I head inside for my wife and son was so much, that if I truly knew the extent of it, it would kill me. I leaned over as I stroked Jesse's back gently, proud of the life I had created with whom I once thought was my worst enemy. I knew then that as long as there were stars in the sky, nothing could destroy the love for my family and the joy of being a father.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*THE END~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Thank you to all who reviewed! Wow, I can't believe this story is over now! Well, all I can say is that it was fun and rock on witch bad self! (Hahahaha!!!) Later................................................................much! 


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